Mark lanark

Thanks for the replies, the machines capacity for oil is 65ltr and I’ve put in just over that, still a couple of inches or so from top of tank. 
I didn’t change filters (I know it sounds mad) but I was under pressure to have machine back on the road and I couldn’t get a filter for a few days, thought I’d just change oil and get it back working and do a full service later when machines not needed as much. 
if it is an air lock what’s the best bet to clear? Remove hose at each ram and run through? 
the fact that I’m getting no noise change when using joy sticks I was wondering if it was something more serious like pressure relief valve jot sending fluid to the rams and just circulating it . Again.. I don’t know much so might be talking rubbish. Cheers 

Hi folks, I have owned an old kubota kh66 2.8t digger for past couple of months, I had the dipper ram fail and I replaced and had the machine working for a couple of hours, I then replaced the hydraulic oil as the tank was very low, drained it out the tank, cleaned out tank then re filled the tank and now when I start up I have no hydraulics working. 
I took the hose off to dipper ram and then I operate that, the fluid does come though but next to no pressure, also when I go to work the joysticks there’s no dip in revs or noise like it normally does like under load as it would be when normally operating. I’ve cracked the 3 nuts (bleed valves I assume) on top of the pump an there is fluid running out when engine switched off. Any ideas of anything I’ve missed or should be doing.

first time owner of plant so learning as I go. Many thanks, mark 

Exactly, planted plenty to offset any removals over the last year so won’t feel too bad. Any idea how old your reckon at a glance? Thanks again! 

We jut bought the place last year and have checked through most of the other trees and all look fairly safe this being the only overly rotten one, it actually stood up through all the recent storms, Sod’s law it will keel over any time now. 

I assumed so with the depth of the hollow internally. Best to get down asap then before kids are out and bout under any potential drop zone.. cheers 

Hi there, posted a couple of times before and always been really grateful for advice, own about 3 acres of old farm land with a few trees dotted around here and there. Mainly old beach and a few other species. I have this (ash I think) and it’s very hollow rotten looking, our kids play in this area and don’t want to have a particularly dangerous tree overhead. To me it looks like it needs to go but just looking for confirmation. Many thanks, mark

Thanks, yes multiple stems, quite hollow and more fragile than a normal tree stem. Thanks for your help 

Can anyone give me a heads up on what this is? It seems quite hollow stemmed? Wasn’t sure if it was more a weed than a tree? Sorry if it’s a basic one. New land owner and Still learning . 
thanks a lot. Mark 

Thanks Paul, “unfortunately” I’m in central Scotland in wet ground and it’s not been that dry recently, we had snow 2 nights ago, this time last year at the start of lockdown we had 7 weeks of almost completely dry scorching weather, not this year unfortunately. 

Thanks for your reply. We did have a few night of minus temps, I take it they will recover with new growth? 

Looking to see if anyone can help id the problem with these Lylandii I planted back in feb. All doing well (approx 200) apart from a few starting to go like this photo? Anything I can do to stop it progressing etc. Many thanks. Mark 

Thanks for all the advice, I totally agree I’m best off having a lot more then I think il need, I stopped building the crates after the 4th and went and bought a roll of stock fencing mesh and made some cages on top of pallets. Filled one this eve. Should be a lot more airflow through these than the pallet sides!! Il put a roof over top of each stack to keep the worst of the rain off. We get really strong winds here so shouldn’t have a problem with airflow now. 

1 hour ago, Gav73 said:

All of this is arb waste, The trick is to put the “unstable” and odd shaped bits at the back and use the more uniform pieces at the front to stabilise the stack. It doesn’t take long to do

Very neat! Agree about chalking  stacking date, great idea ! Cheers 

Cheers, I’d happily stack if they were more regularised sizes, but it’s arb waste I’ve acquired and the rings I got are all different thicknesses etc and don’t stack very well, very unstable. Trying to reduce the handling too but don’t want to take double the time to season just to benefit one less handling process.  Happy to try different options. 

Made these up to get started, il keep adding as I get pallets and cover the tops, as I mentioned, it’s an exposed area so hopefully won’t face any issue with airflow. Hopefully season quicker then the way I had them piled in before! 

2 hours ago, Andrew L said:

I am going to confess, right now, that I am relatively new to this, so I will happily bow to more experienced operators: will try and upload pics of wood store tomorrow and take moisture measurements of logs of differing seasonings.

Our Scandinavian colleagues seem to be making their wood piles about now for use in the following winter,,,

I am also going to stick my neck out and suggest that maybe, those of us in southern, windier climes might be at a slight advantage?

A

I appreciate all the advice, I have today gone out and set up about 6x3m area of 2 pallets thick to get up off ground and will now pile the logs out on this to season, we have really high wind flow (800 above sea level) though this area so hopefully will speed up/ help season quicker. Il keep the pile covered from rain with a tarp and uncover on days when weather has to be good to help. When I get them seasoned il put them into ton bags ready to be used and then this will free up space for next logs to be piled ready. Try and keep a rolling rota going. Can anyone advise what 25m3 should look like ? I’m finding it hard to visualise how much I have/ still require. I should add I probably won’t have all the burners on constantly , more likely to be 2 at a time differing times. Also looking to install a wood gasification boiler (32kw ) in the near future so need to start planning a separate pile for that! Cheers again. 

Once again. Thanks for the advice, when you say to leave on top of pallets where it’s been split before bringing in before burning, do you mean just to leave out airing without any cover? The ibc cages were my original thought but have plenty of pallets to hand for just now. Also I don’t (yet) have any mechanical means of moving, once I do it should be a lot easier. I take it that a square pallet cube wouldn’t be far off a m3? 

Thanks for the advice, new to this so still working out the best way of doing things. I have a good few surplus pallets, Do you think I’d be better building cubes out of pallets and storing the logs in them with a cover over top? Thanks, mark 

Hi, I recently bought a property and have been trying to get as much firewood away over the last 2 weeks to let it season out for next year, I have 3 stoves in just now but will eventually have another couple so trying to ensure i have brought away. I’ve split everything I had acquired over the last couple of weeks and the photo shows it split in an old lean too that was here. It’s roughly 2x2 m 

Recently moved into a house with a hedge that has been maintained regularly in the past but let go the last few years by the looks of it. Im

looking to cut it back down to a reasonable height and il keep on top of it from now on. Looking for some advice on best way to go, there is a good few of the “leaders” taking off and forming trees, which I dont mind so happy to cut around these and keep the hedge more defined. Where the bottom area is pretty bare.. is there anything I can to do to encourage new growth at the lower level or is it too late for that? I think it might be copper beach but have very little knowledge of species yet. Still learning. Thanks for any advice.. Mark

Sounds like a plan! Chuck the home schooling for hands on learning! 

5 minutes ago, Peasgood said:

Sort of. I have been living in a static for the last two and a half years, winter weather can be a bit bleak but I actually quite like it. 

I know it sounds stupid but I am quite happy in my £3k trailer and my house is going to be worth well over £500k. Come the light nights and I won't be indoors anyway.

 

First world problems 

 

Couldn’t agree more about living arrangements.. I’d happily rough it out here for as long as need be! 

5 minutes ago, Ratman said:

Sounds like a gem. And as for your pointing.... master! looks really well Mark. My retirement aim is a small old remote property in Scottish highlands with a bit of land and outbuildings for tinkering in. Bit to go yet, only 38 🤣 one must have dreams though eh!!!

Cheers again, got to plan and aim for that for definite! I’m 31 and will end up forced to retire due to being worn out by time this is done no doubt !! The thought of going to work some days after working at night is a killer! 

7 minutes ago, Peasgood said:

Looking good, I am nearly done with mine but never found anything good like that under the plaster.

Thanks, i recon il find more nasty surprises than good ones once I start done stairs with rot etc. You glad to be nearing the end of yours? 

It’s hard to tell but I’ve repointed from the left side of lintel over fire leftwards to the door, above the lintel and across to right haven’t been touched yet repointing wise. I’ve managed to match the colour etc not too far off and also kept the pointing raked back slightly to keep the defined edges of the stone on show. The stone was actually quarried from a small quarry at end of field. Not sure on stone but seems very flint like. I’m more used to working on sandstone buildings  20 miles from here in Glasgow.

Despite being really old the building isn’t listed at all.